(a) NARA will send you a written notice when we determine that you owe a debt to NARA. The notice will be hand-delivered or sent to you at the most current address known to NARA. The notice will inform you of the following:

(1) The amount, nature, and basis of the debt;

(2) That a designated NARA official has reviewed the claim and determined that it is valid;

(3) That payment of the debt is due as of the date of the notice, and that the debt will be considered delinquent if you do not pay it within 30 days of the date of the notice;

(4) NARA's policy concerning interest, penalty charges, and administrative costs (see §1201.18), including a statement that such assessments must be made against you unless excused in accordance with the FCCS and this part;

(5) That you have the right to inspect and copy disclosable NARA records pertaining to your debt, or to receive copies of those records if personal inspection is impractical;

(6) That you have the opportunity to enter into an agreement, in writing and signed by both you and the designated NARA official, for voluntary repayment of the debt (see §1201.19);

(7) The address, telephone number, and name of the NARA official available to discuss the debt;

(8) Possible collection actions that might be taken if the debt is not paid within 60 days of the notice, or arrangements to pay the debt are not made within 60 days of the notice (see §1201.15 for a fuller description of possible actions);

(9) That NARA may suspend or revoke any licenses, permits, or other privileges for failure to pay a debt; and

(10) Information on your opportunity to obtain a review of the debt (see §1201.16).

(b) NARA will respond promptly to communications from you.

(c) Exception to entitlement to notice, hearing, written responses, and final decisions. With respect to the regulations covering internal salary offset collections (see §1230.32), NARA excepts from the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section—

(1) Any adjustment to pay arising out of an employee's election of coverage or a change in coverage under a Federal benefits program requiring periodic deductions from pay, if the amount to be recovered was accumulated over 4 pay periods or less;

(2) A routine intra-agency adjustment of pay that is made to correct an overpayment of pay attributable to clerical or administrative errors or delays in processing pay documents, if the overpayment occurred within the 4 pay periods preceding the adjustment and, at the time of such adjustment, or as soon thereafter as practical, the individual is provided written notice of the nature and the amount of the adjustment and point of contact for contesting such adjustment; or

(3) Any adjustment to collect a debt amounting to $50 or less, if, at the time of such adjustment, or as soon thereafter as practical, the individual is provided written notice of the nature and the amount of the adjustment and a point of contact for contesting such adjustment.


Tried the LawStack mobile app?

Join thousands and try LawStack mobile for FREE today.

  • Carry the law offline, wherever you go.
  • Download CFR, USC, rules, and state law to your mobile device.